In my experience, there is no such thing as luck Part 1
Trotting through the dark corridors of the tower Luna’s eyes could not help but be drawn towards the many torches that aligned the wall. The flames being blue rather than the usual fiery red that now did not illuminate as much of the corridor as the fiery red ones. That must have been why there were so many there then.
A lot of the decorative things along the walls were sharp and pointed.
Coming to a spiraling staircase that lead up she merely followed it instead of stopping to debate whether it was a good idea to do so in the first place.
Reaching what must have been the second floor she saw that it was not too far to reach the next set of stairs leading up.
However, as she passed by what was assumed to be just a wall she could sense…something behind the dark steel.
Coming to an immediate stop she slowly turned head to the right, noticing a pair of door handles close together indicating the placement of a door.
Turning her body around to better face the doors she maintains visual contact with the handles for a few minutes, before activating her magic and using it to pull the two doors open.
With slow creaking accompanying them the doors slowly proceed to be opened, moving out towards her per her telekinesis.
As they bang gently against the walls Luna’s eyes slowly look from one side of the room to another, scanning everything inside.
Her attention being attracted towards a pedestal atop which rests a rather unique object.
Trotting into the soundless chamber her eyes, while still being undoubtedly stolen away by the pedestal and its object, is keeping on high-alert as she steps further into the wide-open chamber.
Once out in the open her head arches upwards, catching a better glimpse of the open space of the chamber’s higher points, above, -
…but her attention does not falter to remain on the pedestal and its triangular object.
Adapting a strict face, she looks down at the triangle as she stops three steps away from the pedestal.
Taking notice of literally everything in the chamber she remarks to herself how the defeated King Sombra would truly enjoy himself in this place.
“And then there’s you,” she says guiding her eyes down towards the triangle, staring it with intensity in her eye.
“What are you?”
“What are you-are you?” several whispering voices like the ones outside the tower begins to speak.
Their voices echoing around the chamber as if their presence were close...and in a way, it was.
Suddenly becoming alert she turns her back on the pedestal, facing the front entrance.
“Who’s there?”
She calls out, but is meet with no response…other than the dead ambience of the tower.
“Who’s there-there?” the voices once more speak, making their presence known to be inside the room with her, -
…but impossible to be physically seen.
“Whoever you are, I command you, as co-ruling official of Equestria to reveal yourself before,” she demanded, her eyes slowly scanning the room as her body turned around where she stood to better guard in case the voices made themselves known and decided to attack her.
However, this time…the voices were silent.
Not a sound filled the chamber outside of the clopping of her hooves against those black, shiny floors.
Behind her on the pedestal the strange pyramid started to gently lift off its surface, slowly rising into the air.
“The Dark Side-ide!”
The whispering voices suddenly spoke up again, immediately warranting her attention once more.
Silently her eyes darted between the many doors, even looking towards the dark throne not too far away from the pedestal.
Again, as if she had asked there was no response.
The top piece of the pyramid started to disconnect itself from the rest, hovering softly above it as a light suddenly emerged from the two disconnected parts.
Noticing a bright light suddenly shining behind her she turned around, her eye finally seeing the opened tip.
Her mouth hung slightly open, staring wide-eyed at the hovering triangle as it slowly spun around in the air.
With her hoof raised she averted her head from the glow.
She did not look back until she knew that the light’s intensity had dimmed.
Her ears heard a soft humming noise, but even from hearing this she did not lower her hoof.
… However, what she did not know was that a tall figure with a blue ghostly aura around it was looking down at her.
“To whom am I speaking?” a sudden voice spoke, but unlike the earlier ones sounded like its origin was directly in front of her.
Quickly lowering her hoof from suddenly hearing it she turned her head back.
With her hoof gone and eyes fully exposed to look upon the being before her, her eyes immediately widen in astonishment as they look upon a tall – and from the looks of him, very aged.
Having clear white hair and a beard on his face, his attire was black with a belt, boots and a brown cape that was connected by a chain. It was effective simplicity.
It wasn’t until she noticed the transparency and the blue aura that she understood he wasn’t completely flesh and blood like she had originally thought, though, she was certain he was most definitely some sort of ghost.
Blinking his eyes a couple times she finally remembered what he had originally asked her.
“Oh… Well, I am Princess Luna, co-ruler of Equestria,” she replied, trying to force a friendly smile onto her face.
“Hmm…” the ghostly apparition grumbled to itself, raising a brow as if not impressed by her name.
Lowering the brow, he then bowed his head before her.
“Greetings, Princess Luna, I am Lord Dooku, Keeper of the Holocron that you have activated,” he explained.
Her eyes looked down at the hovering triangle, watching as the light projected from the open tip shone brightly, showing the Lord to her as a ghost lacking his legs.
“Lord Dooku,” said Luna with a respectful bow of her head.
“Uh, but I did not activate this…Holocron, I didn’t even make physical contact with it,” she remarked, pointing back towards the hovering triangle with her hoof.
“While I understand your point of view, Princess…allow me to explain how it works,” raising his he touched it to his chest with elegance.
“You may,” she replied, staring back with a blank expression that attempted to display her composed regal mannerisms.
“You must understand that the Holocron is connected to what we refer to as the Force, a great cosmic power that binds and surrounds all living things… It has been used for both the Light and the Dark, in some cases benefiting both sides” Dooku explained to the Princesss who listened with great intrigue to this new concept.
“So…this Force is like Unicorn magic?”
“Not quite…but If that comparison helps, then yes,” replied Dooku.
“How does the Force work?” she asked.
“The Force works just like your magic…, - “gently two of the fingers on his hand were raised up.
Suddenly Luna felt herself being grabbed by an invisible force that slowly lifted her from the floor, suspending her body in the air.
Remaining mostly calm she slowly turned her head, looking around her as her body floated there.
“What is this? What is going on?” she asked with an underlying hint of worry in her tone.
Dooku turned to face her, following her as she slowly hovered above the floor.
“I am using the Force to telekinetically levitate you off the floor.”
Luna’s brows suddenly jump, eyes widening at this news.
“B-but that is impossible. You hardly did anything!”
Dooku slowly shook his head at her in response.
“That is incorrect, your Highness. While you did not see it, I used my fingers to indicate to the Force what I wanted it to do…which in this case was lifting you off the floor to illustrate a fragment of the Force’ power to you.”
Gently waving hand through the air Luna suddenly felt gravity return to her and she was slowly returned to the floor where she planted her hooves against the dark obsidian underneath.
“But how does that work? How can the Force be controlled through simple…gestures of one’s body?” Luna asked, obviously confused by the whole concept about how the Force works.
“Ahh… Now that is a simple question to answer; the Force is generated through living tissue,” he paused knowing this would make less sense than what she had heard previously. “In lemans term; the more your body remains as pure flesh the stronger your ability to control the Force is.”
“So…if I was to lose my arm and have it replaced with a substitute would I still be able to channel the Force?”
“Yes, you would…but the abilities available to you will be significantly reduced as you will have lost some of your potential due to the loss of your organic arm,” Dooku continued to explain to her.
Lowering her head, she looked down at the floor as she tried wrapping her head around all this.
Before raising her head back up she exhaled a soft breath, her head slowly lifting back, and having her eyes fall upon the humanoid figure.
“This is a lot of to take in, Lord Dooku,” she said, interjecting a little bit of a scoff into her voice as she spoke.
“Of course it is, your Highness,” replied Dooku. “I would not expect anyone to still be as sane as they were if they were to learn the secrets of the Force in one lecture.”
To this her brows jump again, making her eyes big with shock.
“I-is the Force really that complex?” she asked him nervously, somehow not wanting know the answer because she already knew it.
“Indeed it is,” he replied with a bow of his head. “Like your magic, much can be taught…but even more can be shown.”
Her mouth hung open, about to speak, but she just gently closed it, debating about it with herself as she debated with herself over the wisdom of this this choice that she was about to make.
Casting aside any final thoughts of doubt about this course of action she looked back up into the face of Dooku with a serious expression.
“Then, Lord Dooku, keeper of the Holocron, will you teach me the ways of the Force?”
The humanoid figure raised its right brow.
“Will you become my mentor?” she asked.
“The path that you are choosing to embark on will not be an easy one, your Highness… Where the Force takes one will forever change you. I cannot promise that you will be the same when you leave this place.”
Closing her eyes, she inhaled a gentle intake of breath, calmly exhaling it again.
Crossing her brows she looked back at the ghostly figure with a serious expression.
“I have mastered the light…I will do the same for the darkness. I’m not afraid.”
Holding his hands together his eyes did not deviate from where she stood in front of him.
“You will be…you will be.”
Her face lost some of the courage that she had been putting into making her come across as strong and confident as possible to the Holocron keeper.
“Please kneel before the pedestal, your Highness,” Dooku instructed, motioning with his palm down to the floor.
“O-okay,” she replied a little confused, but thinking little of it as she believed it just to be part of an initiation ritual or something along those lines.
Bowing before Dooku her lowered her head, keeping it low so as to not make him think that he needed to explain the obvious thing about keeping one’s head low.
Suddenly there was a sound of energy being activated, humming loudly through the air that caused her to feel sudden alarm…but still despite its presence she remained calm and her head lowered.
“With the power vested in me, I, Lord Dooku, take you, Princess Luna, as my apprentice, “he said. The energy hummed as something was moved closer to Luna’s left shoulder before then being guided to her right.
The humming vanished, and she slowly raised her head, looking back up at him.
With his hand extended forward he held it above her head.
“Henceforth you shall be known as Darth…Zannah,”
On Luna’s face a smile formed as she looked up at her new teacher, not objecting to the name he had granted her as it must be a tradition his species has when taking a student to teach.
“Now, rise…my young apprentice.”
Retracting his hand Dooku looked down at Luna with a serious expression.
Standing back up Luna’s eyes fell upon Dooku’s own, -
…which momentarily shined golden as something had started to take root in her.
A power unlike anything she had ever felt before, perhaps even stronger than her natural magic.
Gasping she suddenly staggered back, feeling overwhelmed at feeling such a strength that she had never before experienced in her entire life.
Falling back she fell to the ground in a sitting posture.
“That, my apprentice…” she heard the voice of Dooku speak to her from above, raising her head her eyes once again looked upon him. “…was the Force taking hold in you, claiming you as you seek to claim its wisdom and teachings,” said Dooku.
Panting from her experience she looked upon him with awestruck eyes, amazed at the power of the Force that was coursing through her very being at this moment.
“Well I- “she said as suddenly froze in place, this overwhelming power beginning to fade away, until eventually she felt like herself once more.
“Wha-… What happened? Why can I no longer feel its power coursing through my body?” she asked, looking back at him with a surprised expression.
“D-did I-… Did I lose it?”
Shaking his head from side to side Dooku put his hands behind his back, still looking her with as serious a look as ever.
“The Force was testing you, seeing if you were worthy of learning the deepest secrets of the Force,” replied Dooku.
Biting her lip worry began to overtake her as seeds of doubt were planted in her mind whether she had passed this unexpected test.
Taking slow steps forward to him she masked her concerned behind a blank stare that just showed her as being curious.
“Well? Did I pass?”
… However, there came no response from the old figure, outside of his blinking eyes.
Holding up his hand it tightened into a fist…opening one of the doors as an invisible force caused them to swing open.
Her eyes were guided to the door, staring blankly at it before moving back to his face.
“Come, walk with me…Darth Zannah,” said Dooku before the projected light of the Holocron vanished, and he stepped out from the pedestal with a full body.
He turned and stepped towards the doorway, walking with his arms hidden behind his cape.
Stunned that she had passed the test she held her head low, staring towards the floor with a great deal of surprise in her expression.
I-I can’t believe it! I was actually accepted as being worthy of studying the Force under this Lord Dooku.
Hearing the lack of footsteps her attention was snapped back to the moment as she heard Dooku’s voice ask her, “The Force may be patient, my apprentice…but I am not.”
She swallowed, knowing that she had forced him to wait while her thoughts reflected on the moment.
“A-apologies, my master,” she said as she hurriedly trotted up beside him. “It will not happen again” she said with a hanging head as the humiliation of her actions could not bring her to meet the old figure’s gaze.
“Do not concern your mind with such trivialities, in the grand scheme of the Force there is no such thing as ‘’time wasted’’,” she heard Dooku’s voice speak to her as they walked down the hallway together side-by-side.
Raising her head, she looked up at him, his own staring down into her own.
“You may have made the decision to become my apprentice, Darth Zannah, but to become a student in the ways of the Force is not something to be taken lightly.”
“I-I know, master,” she replied with her head being gently lowered as to hide her frowning face from him.
“Ones does not merely learn the ways of the Force, one must devote their entire life to its teaching,” Dooku said as his attention shifted back to what lay down the hallway.
Wait, my entire life! How can I aid my sister in the rule of Equestria if I’m not there with her?
Her head shot up, looking down along the hallway with worrying eyes.
Did I make a mistake when I confessed to him that I wanted to learn the ways of the Force?
“Master?” she asked.
“Yes, my apprentice?” she heard being uttered off to her right side.
“If I am to become your student I must know how long my training will take, as my absence will be noticed.”
Stopping in place Dooku’s eyes shifted towards her, staring back with a serious stare.
The lack of footsteps let Luna know that he was not moving and she too stopped, turning around to look upon him.
“As I said, those that have tried to understand the Force in a short days time have all gone mad, “Dooku said with a hanging head. “I will understand should you wish to return to your kind so as to not worry them, but if you still desire to study the ways of the Force as my student you must be prepared that all out-side contact with anyone else will be excluded for an unspecified amount of time.”
Lowering her head momentarily she thought it over, smiling as she raised her head to look at him again.
“All right, master, I will devote myself to your teachings.”
Holding his hands together his expression did not change as he meet her gaze.
“For security measures, so as to avoid the knowledge of the temple falling into the hands/hooves of those seeking to use it for evil the temple will for a time disappear from this world. Nothing will, and must not, be allowed to interrupt you during your time as a student in this temple.”
Her eyes widen in shock from this follow-up statement.
“N-no one? Not even my sister?”
Gently shaking his head Dooku resumed walking down the corridor, leaving her behind.
“Wh-where are you going?” she called after him.
Coming to a stop some ways down the hallway he was silent for a time as he stood motionless in place. A sigh being uttered.
“From what I have seen of your surprise to remaining with me for some time it has become apparent that I was unfair in not presenting you with the whole truth of how long one would be staying here,- ” Dooku said as he turned around, staring back at her.
She did not say anything, but lowered her head with a slight hint of embarrassment of having made such a impactful decision on her own in the first place. She was after all the one who had made the request to him of becoming his student.
“…so I will allow you to leave the temple so that you may reconsider if learning under my guidance…but losing time with this sister you have mentioned is indeed what you desire. Unless it is your own desire to be taught by my guiding hands...I will not force it upon you.”
Slowly raising her head her eyes returned to look upon the ghostly figure before her.
“I cannot wait for long, though, as when the Sun sets on this day then I and the temple will disappear…not to return until ten years of this world have passed.”
Luna’s eyes immediately jumped, surprised by the number of how long she would be gone if she chooses to become his student.
“May you chose wisely…Princess Luna, - “said Dooku with a gentle bow of his head. “I will be waiting here until I cannot wait any longer.”
Managing a momentary smile, he turned away from her and began walking down the hallway until he rounded a corner.
The sound of his boots against the dark floor fading into the distance.
Turning around she ran back down the hallway with all the haste she could muster.
Upon returning to the throne room she shot the Holocron a final glance, watching it slowly rotating around as it hovered in the air above its resting place.
[Outside the temple]
The distant – but growing closer – hoof steps of Luna suddenly ended when her form escaped the darkness inside the tower, leaping from the steps and extending her wings mid-air, catching herself before she fell.
With mighty beads of her wings she flew up towards the origin of the many warming rays of the Sun that fell upon her.
A quick turn around and she was looking back down at the tower that she was fast putting a lot of distance between herself during her flight as it continued to get smaller the further away she got.
Maybe I choose well indeed, she thought as she looked back in front of her.
On the tower’s balcony, the ghostly image of Dooku appeared, watching as she became an increasingly smaller and smaller speck on the sky the faster she flew away.
His slight smile suddenly vanishes as a thought returns to him, and he lowers his head before turning around and returning to the darkness within the tower.
Within moments of him returning inside the tower did Luna finally teleport away in a *poof* of magic.